So named because my wife thinks I won't become the $6-m man until I get the right side done.
I had LBHR done by Dr Philip Schmitt of Commerce, MI, on Friday 6/11. I'll become a bilateral BHR on 8/13, but that's posted already in the bilat section. I wanted to talk about my current experience with the LBHR.
The surgery apparently only lasted about 55 minutes, during which Dr. Schmitt did the entire procedure including removing some bone spurs - one apparently the size of my thumb from mid-knuckle to tip. The bones also were polished like ivory from the bone-on-bone interaction for ~ a year. No wonder my RoM was so restricted.
I was awake by ~9am (surgery started around ~7:45ish). The first day, I felt a lot of pain from the operation itself - muscles felt like they'd been abused to no end, and the stiffness. However, I did take about 2 dozen steps at about 4pm, with a walker. It felt weird but good to do that. No clicking or hard-stops like I'd had prior. After a restless Friday night, including a short trip to the chair & sleeping for ~2hrs sitting upright (I can sleep anywhere!), I did a bit more walking Saturday afternoon - about 1.5 laps around the surgical wing (300' long or so, my guess). Dr. Schmitt came in for a visit Sat afternoon, and talked about how smooth the operation had gone, and told me the stuff listed above that he'd found. He caught me on one of my laps, and said I was progressing well, including the leg movement. I didn't lose much blood during the operation - about 100ccs or so, IIRC. I do have quite a bit of bruising around the incision, though - and 33 staples.
Sunday I went home, and spent most of the afternoon figuring out how to maneuver around my house - it's a ranch, but some doorways/rooms aren't built for walkers, how to lay down on the bed properly & comfortably, and which chairs/couch positions I could use and get up & down. I'm at 100% weight-bearing with the walker for balance & support, and will do in-home PT (& OT if needed) 3x/week for 2 weeks, then out-patient PT for a few weeks after that.
What I've noticed a bit more yesterday and today, which I think I've read from others here that it's normal, is that the joint feels a little loose, like the ball is slightly dislocating & relocating at times. There's absolutely no pain with it, just a weird little 'thump' that's felt, not heard. Can anyone confirm that this is typical?
I walked about 1/2 mile yesterday at a local mall, because of the smoothness of the floor vs. my neighborhood sidewalks, and it felt relatively good to do. Leg's very stiff, which I'm assuming is mostly from the swelling.
All in all, I'm very happy so far, and can't wait to get past the swelling & initial rehab part to see what I really can do. I'm not going to push it too hard, just hard enough to make sure it's strong enough to be my primary in < 2 months from now when I get the RBHR done.
BTW, I can't say enough good things about the DMC Orthopedic Surgery Hospital in Madison Heights, MI (suburb of Detroit). It's small & quiet, very personal service (I was the only one in the surgery wing this weekend, and they've never had so many patients that you didn't get a private room, I'm told), and outstanding people all the way around. Yes, this even includes the cafeteria/meal service, about which I'd been extremely skeptical. Dr. Schmitt does his surgeries there 1x/mo, and since it's close to my house I chose that location. I have no reservations about going back there in August.
Thanks for listening,
Jim
Topic: I've just become the $3-million man... (Read 1875 times)
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